Child poverty has become a prominent social issue across the world. It is found not only in under-developed countries, but also in developed nations such as Canada.Recently, Toronto has been called the "child poverty capital of Ontario"(“Toronto called 'child poverty capital of Ontario”).Half of the Ontario poorest children are living in the Toronto area.Many of these children come from single parent families.A lot of parents cannot find a job, and most of them cannot afford to pay for childcare. Because of that, they cannot afford to buy or rent a house.The cost of housing and the rising of utilities cost are the two main struggles for low-income family. And "without access to safe, affordable housing families and children cannot break the cycle of poverty" " ("Toronto called 'child poverty capital of Ontario'").
In 2007, Ontario accounts for forty-four percent of the child poverty in Canada. (“Politicians challenged to combat child poverty” 1). And these child poverty rates are rising at an alarming rate. The number has increased from 152,200 in 1995 to 174,000 in 2000 (“Child poverty goes up in Toronto”). And in 2007, there are 345,000 children living under poverty in Ontario (“Politicians challenged to combat child poverty” 1). Based on the calculation from Statistic Canada, the poverty line for a single parent with one child has a total annual income lower than $18,690. The amount is $22,695 for a two-parent family with a child. As one can assume, single parent family accounts for fifty-seven percent of poor Canadian families. (“Child poverty goes up in Toronto”).
Regarding to the child poverty issues, Kevin Lee from the Canadian Council on Social Development has addressed some findings in his study. He finds out that the majority of families struggling with child poverty come from single-parent families, Aboriginal families, recent immigrants or visible minorities.These groups of people are generally having a more poverty rate than the average citizens (“Poverty In Canada” 5). Also, he finds out that education levels can vary the family poverty rate. Parents with less than high school education are usually poorer than parents that have received post-secondary education. In the same way, parents with lower occupational skill levels have a higher chance of poverty. Because of that, the average income of a working-class family in Canada is about $60,400, while the average income of a working-class low-income family in Canada is approximately $14,500 (“Poverty In Canada” 5). The government is trying to narrow the gap between the incomes of the Canadian. Also, they try to imply policies to help the poor families and their child.
In reaction to the child poverty issue, in 1998, the federal government has launched a joint program with provinces; attempt to decrease the child poverty rate.It is called the National Child Benefit Strategy. Monthly Child Tax Benefit will be given to most of the families in the country. For the low-income parents, they will receive a National Child Benefit Supplement, and it means that each qualified family will receive approximately $172 per month for poverty aid.Both the lowest pay working parents and parents with government assistance is allowed to keep the full amount of the supplement. However, most of them end up receive nothing as the money they get from the government will be deducted for their provincial welfare cheques (“Clawbacks cause child poverty, families charge” 2).
Most parents form the poor family make sacrifices to give their child the best they can. However, in long term, child who grow up from poverty are more likely to have low educational achievement, to commit crime, to become teenage parents, or to have less success in the labor market. According to Unicef, Canada ranked seven, with 15.5% of children living below the national poverty lines, which means that their family income is below fifty percent of the national median (“A League Table of Child Poverty In Rich Nations” 4). On the other hand, child in lone-parent family are more likely to face poverty. According to the research, 51.6% of the children poverty rate is from single parent family, while 10.4% are from other families. In this case, lone-parent family facing the risk of poverty is five times more than the normal families. Also, a child living in a household with only one working adult or no working adult is evidently more possible to fall below the poverty line than the one having two working adults in the house (“A League Table of Child Poverty In Rich Nations” 10). However, there is no clear-cut relationship between unemployment rate and the child poverty rate. The graph from the Unicef Child Poverty Report Card shows that a country with high unemployment rate may not have a high level of child poverty. On the other hand, a nation with low unemployment may have a relative high child poverty rate. For example, in Canada, the child poverty rate is greater than the unemployment rate. It can be explained by wage inequality. If the worker is employed in low wages, when divide his income into the family needs; it might be hard to take his children out of the poverty line (“A League Table of Child Poverty In Rich Nations” 13). Even with the increase of jobs or employment opportunities, it does not make significant changes if the bottom of the income scale is too low, majority of the poor children live in families that adults are not eligible for paid work, or most of the jobs are taken by families that already have a well-paid parent. The income of the well-paid household will increase, and in the same sense, the poverty rate will also increase (“A League Table of Child Poverty In Rich Nations” 14). Another way to understand the structural causes of poverty in Canada is by the history perspectives. In the article, Poverty In Canada, the author has mentioned that when the economic structure change, it will causes a massive impact on the living of people and the increase of poverty rate. The first time is the Industrial Revolution. It begins in the early 1700s. It changes from an agrarian based society to industrial based society.People are no longer self-supply, they are required to obtain skills in order to work in a factory. The second time start in the early 1980s, the beginning of the “information revolution” (“Poverty In Canada” 6). The economy has changed from an industrial based society to an informative society. It is a computer or telecommunications based society. It is more globalized and competitive. A lot of companies fail to compete; they either close down the firm or moved the Canadian manufacturing plants to third world nations, where workers receive a lower wages while doing the same job. Not only the manufacturing plants, labor-intensive jobs are largely replaced by robots or have been computerized. Many workers have been layoff, and most of the low to medium skilled, well paying jobs have been lost. The overall effect of this is that a lot of people are force to take up low-income jobs; some of them are long-term unemployed, and a lot of them live under the poverty line (“Poverty In Canada” 7). Child poverty has become one of the most important social issue in the country, and Ontario has been named the center of most poor children live. Single parent family, new immigrants, visible minorities and child with disable parents have the greatest chance of falling into poverty. The increase of utilities price and the lack of affordable housing are the two main struggles for the family in poverty. Some parents fail to find a job, and cannot afford to pay for childcare. Government is trying to imply policies, attempt to help the poor. However, the budget and aid is not enough for the family.On the other hand, low wages of parents, cannot help to pull their children out of poverty. And because of the changing structure of the society, the Canadian government hopes to make Canada more competitive. The government implied huge tax credits and promote business in many ways. Therefore, they make a huge cut on social spending and restructuring the social safety net. Families and children with most help and under poverty are now having fewer resources available than before (“Poverty In Canada” 7).
Child Poverty In Ontario
Child poverty has become a prominent social issue across the world. It is found not only in under-developed countries, but also in developed nations such as Canada. Recently, Toronto has been called the "child poverty capital of Ontario" (“Toronto called 'child poverty capital of Ontario”). Half of the Ontario poorest children are living in the Toronto area. Many of these children come from single parent families. A lot of parents cannot find a job, and most of them cannot afford to pay for childcare. Because of that, they cannot afford to buy or rent a house. The cost of housing and the rising of utilities cost are the two main struggles for low-income family. And "without access to safe, affordable housing families and children cannot break the cycle of poverty" " ("Toronto called 'child poverty capital of Ontario'").
In 2007, Ontario accounts for forty-four percent of the child poverty in Canada. (“Politicians challenged to combat child poverty” 1). And these child poverty rates are rising at an alarming rate. The number has increased from 152,200 in 1995 to 174,000 in 2000 (“Child poverty goes up in Toronto”). And in 2007, there are 345,000 children living under poverty in Ontario (“Politicians challenged to combat child poverty” 1). Based on the calculation from Statistic Canada, the poverty line for a single parent with one child has a total annual income lower than $18,690. The amount is $22,695 for a two-parent family with a child. As one can assume, single parent family accounts for fifty-seven percent of poor Canadian families. (“Child poverty goes up in Toronto”).
Regarding to the child poverty issues, Kevin Lee from the Canadian Council on Social Development has addressed some findings in his study. He finds out that the majority of families struggling with child poverty come from single-parent families, Aboriginal families, recent immigrants or visible minorities. These groups of people are generally having a more poverty rate than the average citizens (“Poverty In Canada” 5). Also, he finds out that education levels can vary the family poverty rate. Parents with less than high school education are usually poorer than parents that have received post-secondary education. In the same way, parents with lower occupational skill levels have a higher chance of poverty. Because of that, the average income of a working-class family in Canada is about $60,400, while the average income of a working-class low-income family in Canada is approximately $14,500 (“Poverty In Canada” 5). The government is trying to narrow the gap between the incomes of the Canadian. Also, they try to imply policies to help the poor families and their child.
In reaction to the child poverty issue, in 1998, the federal government has launched a joint program with provinces; attempt to decrease the child poverty rate. It is called the National Child Benefit Strategy. Monthly Child Tax Benefit will be given to most of the families in the country. For the low-income parents, they will receive a National Child Benefit Supplement, and it means that each qualified family will receive approximately $172 per month for poverty aid. Both the lowest pay working parents and parents with government assistance is allowed to keep the full amount of the supplement. However, most of them end up receive nothing as the money they get from the government will be deducted for their provincial welfare cheques (“Clawbacks cause child poverty, families charge” 2).
Most parents form the poor family make sacrifices to give their child the best they can. However, in long term, child who grow up from poverty are more likely to have low educational achievement, to commit crime, to become teenage parents, or to have less success in the labor market. According to Unicef, Canada ranked seven, with 15.5% of children living below the national poverty lines, which means that their family income is below fifty percent of the national median (“A League Table of Child Poverty In Rich Nations” 4). On the other hand, child in lone-parent family are more likely to face poverty. According to the research, 51.6% of the children poverty rate is from single parent family, while 10.4% are from other families. In this case, lone-parent family facing the risk of poverty is five times more than the normal families. Also, a child living in a household with only one working adult or no working adult is evidently more possible to fall below the poverty line than the one having two working adults in the house (“A League Table of Child Poverty In Rich Nations” 10).
However, there is no clear-cut relationship between unemployment rate and the child poverty rate. The graph from the Unicef Child Poverty Report Card shows that a country with high unemployment rate may not have a high level of child poverty. On the other hand, a nation with low unemployment may have a relative high child poverty rate. For example, in Canada, the child poverty rate is greater than the unemployment rate. It can be explained by wage inequality. If the worker is employed in low wages, when divide his income into the family needs; it might be hard to take his children out of the poverty line (“A League Table of Child Poverty In Rich Nations” 13). Even with the increase of jobs or employment opportunities, it does not make significant changes if the bottom of the income scale is too low, majority of the poor children live in families that adults are not eligible for paid work, or most of the jobs are taken by families that already have a well-paid parent. The income of the well-paid household will increase, and in the same sense, the poverty rate will also increase (“A League Table of Child Poverty In Rich Nations” 14).
Another way to understand the structural causes of poverty in Canada is by the history perspectives. In the article, Poverty In Canada, the author has mentioned that when the economic structure change, it will causes a massive impact on the living of people and the increase of poverty rate. The first time is the Industrial Revolution. It begins in the early 1700s. It changes from an agrarian based society to industrial based society. People are no longer self-supply, they are required to obtain skills in order to work in a factory. The second time start in the early 1980s, the beginning of the “information revolution” (“Poverty In Canada” 6). The economy has changed from an industrial based society to an informative society. It is a computer or telecommunications based society. It is more globalized and competitive. A lot of companies fail to compete; they either close down the firm or moved the Canadian manufacturing plants to third world nations, where workers receive a lower wages while doing the same job. Not only the manufacturing plants, labor-intensive jobs are largely replaced by robots or have been computerized. Many workers have been layoff, and most of the low to medium skilled, well paying jobs have been lost. The overall effect of this is that a lot of people are force to take up low-income jobs; some of them are long-term unemployed, and a lot of them live under the poverty line (“Poverty In Canada” 7).
Child poverty has become one of the most important social issue in the country, and Ontario has been named the center of most poor children live. Single parent family, new immigrants, visible minorities and child with disable parents have the greatest chance of falling into poverty. The increase of utilities price and the lack of affordable housing are the two main struggles for the family in poverty. Some parents fail to find a job, and cannot afford to pay for childcare. Government is trying to imply policies, attempt to help the poor. However, the budget and aid is not enough for the family. On the other hand, low wages of parents, cannot help to pull their children out of poverty. And because of the changing structure of the society, the Canadian government hopes to make Canada more competitive. The government implied huge tax credits and promote business in many ways. Therefore, they make a huge cut on social spending and restructuring the social safety net. Families and children with most help and under poverty are now having fewer resources available than before (“Poverty In Canada” 7).
Works Cited
A League Table of Child Poverty In Rich Nations (2000): 1-28.
Child poverty goes up in Toronto 30 June 2003. CBC News. 4 Feb. 2009 <http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2003/06/30/poverty_toronto030630.html>.
Clawbacks cause child poverty, families charge 18 Mar. 2005. Carleton University's School of Journalism. 4 Feb. 2009 <http://www.carleton.ca/jmc/cnews/18032005/n1.shtml>.
Politicians challenged to combat child poverty 12 Sept. 2007. Thestar.com. 4 Feb. 2009 <http://www.thestar.com/OntarioElection/article/255649>.
Poverty In Canada. Apr. 2002. Street Level Consulting and Counseling. 4 Feb. 2009 <http://www.streetlevelconsulting.ca/homepage/homelessness2InCanada_Part2.htm>.
Totonto called 'child poverty capital of Ontario' 3 Dec. 2008. CBC News. 4 Feb. 2009
<http://www.cbc.ca/canada/toronto/story/2008/12/03/child-poverty.html?ref=rss>.